Terry P.

VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.

Roman Polanski’s BASED ON A TRUE STORY Among New Films Added to 2017 Cannes Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22112" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Roman Polanski[/caption] Roman Polanski’s latest film Based on a True Story (D’après une histoire vraie) along with six other films have been added to the lineup of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Based on a True Story will screen Out of Competition. The complete list of films added to the 2017 Cannes Film Festival Competition The Square by Ruben Ostlund Out of Competition Based on a True Story (D’après une histoire vraie) by Roman Polanski Un Certain Regard La Cordillera by Santiago Mitre Walking past the Future by Li Ruijun Special Screenings Le Vénérable W. by Barbet Schroeder Carré 35 by Eric Caravaca Children’s Screening Zombillénium by Arthur de Pins and Alexis Ducord The Festival de Cannes will also offer a screening tribute to André Téchiné presenting his newest film Nos années folles; and an event with a concert and a film by Tony Gatlif whose movie Djam will be screened at the Cinéma de la plage (“Movies on the Beach).
Read more
Tribeca 2017: KEEP THE CHANGE, SON OF SOFIA, and BOBBI JENE Win Top Juried Awards

[caption id="attachment_22103" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Brandon Polansky as David Cohen and Samantha Elisofon as Sarah Silverstein in KEEP THE CHANGE. Photographer: Giacomo Belletti.[/caption] Keep the Change, Son of Sofia and Bobbi Jene won the top competition awards at the 16th Tribeca Film Festival award ceremony earlier tonight. Keep the Change won the award for Best U.S. Narrative, Son of Sofia won for Best International Narrative, and Bobbi Jene won for Best Documentary. For the fifth year, Tribeca awarded innovation in storytelling through its Storyscapes Award for immersive storytelling, which went to TREEHUGGER: WAWONA. “It is more important than ever to celebrate artists both in front of and behind the camera who have the unique ability to share different viewpoints to inspire, challenge and entertain us,” said Jane Rosenthal, Executive Chair and Co-Founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “The winning creators from across the Festival program shared stories that did exactly that, and we are honored to recognize them tonight. And how wonderful is it that the top awards in all five feature film categories were directed by women.” This year’s Festival included 97 feature length films, 57 short films, and 30 immersive storytelling projects from 41 countries.
The winners of awards of the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival

U.S. NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Keep the Change, written and directed by Rachel Israel. Jury Comment: “For her heartwarming, hilarious and consistently surprising reinvention of the New York romantic comedy, which opens a door to a world of vibrant characters not commonly seen on film, the U.S. Narrative Jury gives the Founders Award to Rachel Israel for Keep the Change.” Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Alessandro Nivola in One Percent More Humid. Jury Comment: “For his raw, complex and deeply human portrayal of middle-aged teacher and writer who tries to rekindle his creativity by plunging into an ill-advised affair with a student, the award for Best Actor goes to Alessandro Nivola, in Liz W. Garcia’s One Percent More Humid.” Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Nadia Alexander in Blame. Jury Comment: “For her powerful, multilayered and risky portrayal of a troubled teenager in Quinn Shepard’s accomplished directorial debut Blame, the award for Best Actress goes to Nadia Alexander.” Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Cinematography by Chris Teague for Love After Love. Jury Comment: “For creating a visual style that beautifully mirrors the fraught and messy landscape of grief, the cinematography award goes to Love After Love, shot by Chris Teague.” Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Abundant Acreage Available written by Angus MacLachlan. Jury Comment: “For its portrayal, both universal and intimate, of two families who meet, clash and ultimately discover what it means to call a place home, the best screenplay award goes to Abundant Acreage, written and directed by Angus MacLachlan.”
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
The Best International Narrative Feature – Son of Sofia (O Gios tis Sofias) written and directed by Elina Psykou (Greece, Bulgaria, France). Jury Comment: “When we were watching these movies we were looking for something we hadn’t seen before. We unanimously agree that one film challenged us to see in a new way, and we were seduced by the surprising humanity of its difficult characters. The direction was assured, and its tone unique, and we look forward to seeing Elina Psykou’s next work. The Best International Narrative Feature Award goes to Son of Sofia.” Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature Film – Guillermo Pfening in Nobody’s Watching (Nadie Nos Mira) (Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, USA, Spain). Jury Comment: “For a performance of extraordinary vulnerability and commitment that anchored the film, the Best Actor Award goes to Guillermo Pfening for Nobody’s Watching.” Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature Film – Marie Leuenberger in The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung) (Switzerland). Jury Comment: “For a performance that is patient, intelligent and graceful, that captured the liberation of a young woman the Best Actress Award goes to Marie Leuenberger for The Divine Order.” Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature Film – Cinematography by Mart Taniel for November (Estonia, Netherlands, Poland). Jury Comment: “We were particularly impressed by the high level of the cinematography of the films we’ve just seen which had very different styles and demands. One film was particularly audacious and showed supreme command of its visual language. The Best Cinematography Award goes to Mart Taniel for November.” Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature Film – Ice Mother (Bába z ledu) written by Bohdan Sláma (Slovakia, France). Jury Comment: “A screenplay can create a world. With warmth and humor, this movie leads us into a specific and eccentric world driven by an unlikely love story. The Best Screenplay Award goes to Bohdan Sláma for Ice Mother.”
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
Best Documentary Feature – Bobbi Jene, directed by Elvira Lind (USA, Denmark, Israel). Jury Comments: “In a diverse field of worthy films, one work captivated our jury with its exquisite blend of emotional depth and rigorous craft. Fulfilling the promise of classic cinema verite, where camera serves as both observer and provocation, this film connected two artists, filmmaker and subject, pushing nonfiction intimacy to bold new places. Our winner documents the deeply personal process of a brilliant woman finding her voice – paired with a director whose own artistic vision dances elegantly with that of her subject. We the jury give the Best Documentary Feature to Elvira Lind’s Bobbi Jene.” Best Documentary Cinematography – Cinematography by Elvira Lind for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel). Jury Comments: “For the film’s extraordinary relationship to an artist who is willing to go bare not only in performance but in stunningly intimate scenes that are poetic, honest and moving, seemingly without barriers between camera and subject, we give Best Cinematography to Elvira Lind for Bobbi Jene.” Best Documentary Editing – Editing by Adam Nielson for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel). Jury Comments: “For a film whose precise economy of construction creates space for the rich sensual palette of a committed artist going through a life change, and whose internal rhythms mirror the art it portrays, we give Best Editing to Adam Nielson for Bobbi Jene.” Special Jury Mention – True Conviction. “For its compelling storytelling and for introducing us to three heroic characters who transform the injustice they suffered into active change, we give a Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Feature to Jamie Meltzer’s True Conviction.”
BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION:
Best New Narrative Director – Rachel Israel, director of Keep the Change (U.S.). Jury Comments: “For this award, we were looking for a filmmaker with a fearless, authentic voice. Our decision was unanimous. This filmmaker created a world full of vibrant characters often under-represented in cinema. It is a unique, yet universal love story told in a way we’ve never seen. We anxiously await to see what this filmmaker does next. We are so thrilled to present the award for Best New Narrative Director to Rachel Israel for Keep the Change.”
BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION:
Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award – Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra for A Suitable Girl (U.S./India). Jury Comments: “For the top prize we chose a film that helped us to rethink the dynamics of love through a moving portrayal of a cultural tradition. With incredible access, heartfelt scenes and it’s strong verite style, The Albert Maysles Prize for first documentary feature goes to A Suitable Girl.” Special Jury Mention – Hondros. “In considering a wide range of subjects in our category we were moved by two different kinds of love stories. The film we decided to honor with a special mention delves into the fractured worlds of chaos and violence and the interconnectedness of humanity. A childhood friend carries on his legacy to show the enduring power of love. The special mention goes to Hondros.”
THE NORA EPHRON PRIZE
The Nora Ephron Prize: Petra Volpe, writer/director of The Divine Order (Switzerland). Jury Comments: “For its intrepid and compassionate storytelling, beautiful cinematography (DP-ed by a woman), complex characterization of the female experience, seamless navigation of both drama and comedy, and true embodiment of the personal being political, we award the Nora Ephron Prize to Petra Volpe for her film The Divine Order.” Special Jury Mention: Keep the Change
SHORT FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
Best Narrative Short – Retouch, directed by Kaveh Mazaheri (Iran). Jury Comments: “For its message of choice, liberty, and renewal where the lines of morality and honesty are blurred, leaving the audiences own projection of the events open for discussion and introspection. We appreciated the unification of the aesthetic and the ethical. The winner of the Best Narrative Short goes to Retouch.” Best Animated Short – Odd is an Egg (Odd er et egg) directed by Kristin Ulseth (Norway). Jury Comments: “We found the story of this animated short sweet and moving. We were also very impressed with beautiful visuals, which were artistic, cool and haunting. The filmmaker shows great promise. Best Animated Short goes to Kristin Ulseth for her film, Odd is an Egg.” Best Documentary Short – The Good Fight directed by Ben Holman (U.S., UK, Brail). Jury Comments: “An unflinching portrait of finding hope in a world of danger; a journey of perseverance in the face of tragedy; an uplifting and visually compelling story of redemption. The winner of the Best Documentary Short is The Good Fight.” Special Jury Mention – Resurface: “Shedding light on the struggle for normalcy, hope, and recovery that US Veterans face every day, this is the story of reviving the human spirit through connecting with something deeply powerful and larger than the self: the Natural World.” Student Visionary Award – Fry Day directed by Laura Moss (U.S.). Jury Comments: “For its success in balancing an immersive coming of age experience with relevant social commentary in a historically specific context; compelling performances and expert filmmaking, the student visionary award goes to Fry Day.” Special Jury Mention – Dive: “Visceral, deeply moving meditative and exquisitely constructed / A nuanced examination of love and moving on after grief. Dive receives a Special Jury Mention.”
STORYSCAPES AWARD
Storyscapes Award: TREEHUGGER: WAWONA created by Barnaby Steel (Co-Founder, Creative Director), Ersin Han Ersin (artist, Creative Director) and Robin McNicholas (Co-founder, Creative Director) of Marshmallow Laser Feast . Jury Comments: “The project we chose exemplifies the highest standards of artistry and inventiveness. It explores the potential for new visual forms and investigates unique modes of storytelling that allow us to tap into aspects the world and our lived experience that are intuitively known but seldom articulated. Through its use of poetic abstraction, embodiment, and the viewer’s own imagination and interpretation, we are able to unlock new ways of understanding and experiencing the world around us. We’ve selected this piece because we hope it will inspire others to start creating in ways that take risks and use the limitations of technology to revamp story and experience. The Storyscapes Award goes to TREEHUGGER: WAWONA.” The Festival’s competition categories continue to incorporate storytelling in all its forms with two awards that were given out earlier in the week. The Tribeca X Award is a juried section recognizing the intersection of advertising and entertainment and Tribeca also presented the first Tribeca Snapchat Short Award, a new official category
TRIBECA X AWARD
Tribeca X Award: Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving by 72andSunny for Smirnoff Ice. Directed by Zachary Heinzerling
TRIBECA SNAPCHAT SHORTS
Tribeca Snapchat Short award: Magic Show directed by Annie Hubbard.
Read more
BAD RAP, Documentary on Asian-American Rappers, Sets May 23rd Release Date | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_12255" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] BAD RAP[/caption] Bad Rap, directed by Salima Koroma, follows the lives and careers of four Asian-American rappers – Dumbfoundead, Awkwafina, Rekstizzy, Lyricks – trying to get a break. Bad Rap will be released nationwide on VOD, Tuesday, May 23 on all major platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu. The film’s release is timed to Asian Cultural Heritage Month (May 2017). Hip-hop culture has transcended many racial and cultural boundaries after its founding in the ’70s by African-American and Latino youth in the South Bronx. Since then, rappers have emerged as legitimate pop culture stars around the world and hip-hop’s global movement has become increasingly more diverse. Yet the face of rap in America remains primarily black, brown, and white. Bad Rap follows the lives and careers of four Asian-American rappers trying to break into a world that often treats them as outsiders. Featuring dynamic live performance footage and revealing interviews, Bad Rap will turn the most skeptical critics into believers. From the battle rhymes of crowd-favorite Dumbfoundead to the tongue-in-cheek songs of Awkwafina; the unapologetic visuals of Rekstizzy to the conflicted values of Lyricks – Bad Rap paints a memorable portrait of artistic passion in the face of an unsung struggle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGvmRT7uJsI
Read more
Stranger With My Face International Film Festival Releases Poster and More Program Highlights

[caption id="attachment_16261" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] DEAREST SISTER[/caption] The fifth edition of Stranger With My Face International Film Festival will take place in Hobart from May 4 to 7, 2017. Stranger With My Face focuses on women’s perspectives in genre filmmaking with an emphasis on horror and related genres. The 2017 program includes the Australian premiere of Elizabeth E. Schuch’s debut film THE BOOK OF BIRDIE. Schuch is a London-based director and producer specializing in creative visuals and has contributed to many films, TV, and theatre productions in the art department as a production designer, matte painter or storyboard and concept artist (including Wonder Woman and Pacific Rim:Uprising). “It’s a visually stunning piece, with a fascinating intensity and sense of its own style,” says Festival Director Briony Kidd. “I’ve no doubt Elizabeth is a filmmaker to watch.” The film tells the story of a fragile teenage girl who’s placed in a gloomy convent to be looked after by nuns. Will her unusual obsessions become a mark of sainthood or a dark heresy? The director says: “I’m absolutely thrilled to bring the mad, mystical world of The Book of Birdie to meet the perfect genre audience in Tasmania, and to meet the other filmmakers passionate about telling strange dark tales with a female eye.” Also screening at Stranger With My Face 2017: The Australian feature film INNUENDO, directed by Saara Lamberg, in a micro-budget spotlight; The Laos feature film DEAREST SISTER, a ghost story with powerful social resonances from SWMF favorite Mattie Do; And a line-up of short films including: Blood Sisters (Australia, dirs. Caitlin Koller & Lachlan Smith) Doll (Australia, director Jia He) The Man Who Caught a Mermaid (Australia, director Kaitlin Tinker) What Happened to Her (USA, Kristy Guevara-Flanagan) Pendulum (UK, Lauren Cooney) Gardening at Night (USA, Shayna Connelly) Slapper (Australia, Luci Schroder) And the following one-hour talks make up this year’s Mary Shelley Symposium: Print-maker Jazmina Cininas talking about her ‘Girlie Werewolf Hall of Fame’ body of work around the mythology of the female werewolf in culture (her exhibition Blood Moon will also be opened as part of the festival); Film academic Deb Verhoeven talking about the films of Gaylene Preston, SMWF’s featured retrospective for 2017; Writer, researcher and artist Lauren Carroll-Harris reflecting on the screen culture in Australia, with a presentation entitled ‘Why do we fund Australian films but not the cinemas to screen them in?’; And horror fan and broadcaster Chloe Black with ‘The Wolf in the Dress’, an exploration of transgender and transphobic representation in modern horror. The 2017 poster is by Adelaide-based artist Amy Fairweather, who cites influenced including Robert Louis Stevenson’s DR JECKYLL AND MR HYDE, and the Jennnifer Kent film THE BABADOOK. “I had an image in mind of a Victorian-esque woman who’s in a trance-like state, her ‘darker’ side emerging in plumes of smoke.The monster is a representation of her tormented, malevolent and twisted self.” The key international guests for 2017, and mentors for the Attic Lab program for filmmakers that takes place within the festival, are Gaylene Preston (the featured retrospective filmmaker of the festival with her films PERFECT STRANGERS and MR WRONG screening), producer/director Roxanne Benjamin (whose anthology feature film XX is screening) and cinematographer Sandi Sissel (who worked on Wes Craven’s THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS) will be showcased in a special screening.
Read more
Ben Affleck & Pixar Filmmakers Honored at 1st Autfest Film Festival, PO Wins Best Film

[caption id="attachment_22070" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Ed Asner and AutFest honoree Ben Affleck (PRNewsfoto/The Autism Society)[/caption] Actor Ben Affleck, Pixar filmmakers Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera were among the awardees honored for their filmmaking contributions to autism awareness at the 1st AutFest International Film Festival in Orange, California. After a screening of his 2016 film The Accountant, in which he portrayed a forensic accountant on the autism spectrum, seven-time Emmy® winner and autism advocate Ed Asner presented Affleck with the AutFest Awareness Award. Oscar-winning Pixar filmmakers Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera were honored by Asner with the AutFest Vanguard Award after a screening of their film Inside Out. Over nine feature films and six short films were presented during the two-day festival that included this year’s Oscar-nominated documentary Life, Animated and international films from China (Destiny) and Malaysia (Redha). Two of the shorts, Even in Death and The Adventures of Pelican Pete: A Bird is Born, were written and directed by filmmakers on the autism spectrum. Panelists included Po’s director John Asher and actor Julian Feder, as well as an autism sibling panel following the Life, Animated screening. The 1st Annual AutFest International Film Festival winners include: Best Film: Po, directed by John Asher (U.S.A.) Best Documentary: Swim Team, directed by Lara Stolman (U.S.A.) Best Short: The Buddy System, directed by William Harris and Megan Smith-Harris (U.S.A.) Best Performance Julian Feder, Po (U.S.A.) Audience Award: The Accountant, directed by Gavin O’Connor (U.S.A.) Best Autistic Filmmaker: Zac Davis, Even in Death (U.S.A.)
Read more
Tribeca 2017: Susan Froemke’s THE RESILIENT HEART Premiered at Fest, Debuts on Amazon | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22060" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 24: Host Bob Harper, Director Susan Froemke and Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital Dr. Valentin Fuster, MD, PHD during the Tribeca Film Festival premiere for the feature documentary, The Resilient Heart.[/caption] Oscar-nominee and Grammy winning director, Susan Froemke, premiered her feature documentary film, The Resilient Heart, during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival to a packed audience. The screening event was hosted by Bob Harper, the celebrity trainer and host of NBC’s Biggest Loser, who suffered a heart attack earlier this year. Over the weekend, the film made its world premiere in competition at the acclaimed Newport Beach Film Festival. The feature length documentary film, which centers on the work of Dr. Valentin Fuster, a world-renowned cardiologist and Physician-in-Chief at The Mount Sinai Hospital, has been picked up by Amazon Prime Video and Amazon.com for a global launch, and is available now. Froemke announced the release of The Resilient Heart in Park City, UT following the 2017 Sundance Film Festival premiere of her documentary Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman. [gallery size="large" type="rectangular" ids="22059,22060,22061,22062,22063,22064,22065"] “When I first met Dr. Valentin Fuster, I thought cardiovascular disease was a rich nation’s illness, but I soon found out it was the leading cause of death across the globe,” said Froemke. “Dr. Fuster’s mission to stem the tide of this debilitating epidemic inspired me to make The Resilient Heart with the hope to bring his important story to a wide audience.” “Every year, over 17 million people worldwide die from heart disease,” explained Dr. Fuster. “By 2030 that number is expected to be 23 million, and most of those deaths are preventable. I hope this film will help to change those statistics moving forward.” The film, made with generous support from The Valentin Fuster Mount Sinai Foundation for Science, Health & Empowerment, Inc., focuses on Dr. Fuster’s research and travels as he discovers that the real answer to fighting chronic disease lies in early education. The Resilient Heart follows Dr. Fuster as he travels from Bogota, Columbia, to Eldoret, Kenya, the island of Grenada, Madrid, the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, and Mexico, where he encounters the profound impacts of coordinated global health initiatives, proactive public policy, and the passion of people to better the health and well-being of populations, no matter the circumstances. The film was directed by Oscar®-nominee and Grammy® winner Susan Froemke, a non-fiction filmmaker with over 30 documentaries to her credit, including the iconic Grey Gardens (1976), the Academy Award nominated Lalee’s Kin (2001), Conversations With The Rolling Stones (1994), and Escape Fire: The Fight To Rescue American Healthcare which premiered at Sundance in 2013. For four decades, Dr. Fuster has been a global leader in the field of cardiology, including cardiovascular medicine, translational research, and education. He has a keen interest in promoting cardiovascular health, especially for the world’s tiniest hearts — those in our children. Dr. Fuster has published more than 1,000 research studies on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis, and is Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Fuster is the former President of the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbg0ojiNixc
Read more
2017 Sundance Film Festival: London Unveils Lineup of 14 Feature, 15 Short Films + Special Events

[caption id="attachment_22056" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Sundance Film Festival: London at Picturehouse Central[/caption] The 2017 Sundance Film Festival: London, taking place June1 to 4 at Picturehouse Central will present 14 feature films direct from this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The festival will open with the International premiere of Miguel Arteta’s Beatriz at Dinner, and it will close four days later with the UK premiere of David Lowery’s critically acclaimed A Ghost Story, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. The 2017 festival will also include a short film program with 15 shorts, including a strand dedicated to new UK shorts. For the first time, the program will include a “Surprise Film” screening which promises festivalgoers an exclusive chance to catch an audience hit from this year’s festival in Park City. Additionally, the Sundance Film Festival: London will introduce an Audience Favorite award for 2017, giving festivalgoers the chance to vote for their favorite features, with the winner announced at the close of the festival. The Special Events program comprises three panel events and an “In Conversation” event with renowned guests, providing incredible insights into the filmmaking process. The “Independent Film Trumps Reality” panel will examine independent filmmaking in the current political climate, involving directors at the festival whose films have gained a new level of currency in the age of Trump, while the “On Collaboration: Documentary Practices and Process” panel (presented by Dropbox) will explore the themes of diversity, accessibility and progress in documentary, and the short filmmaker panel “Art vs. Stepping Stone” (presented in association with London Short Film Festival) will pose the question, “Are shorts simply a stepping stone or do they sustain a filmmaker throughout a career?” Acclaimed director David Lowery, whose highly anticipated film A Ghost Story will close the festival, will participate in an “In Conversation” event (presented in association with Empire magazine) which will be followed by a special screening of his earlier feature, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
FEATURE FILM PROGRAM
Beatriz at Dinner (Director: Miguel Arteta, Screenwriter: Mike White) – Beatriz, an immigrant from a poor town in Mexico, has drawn on her innate kindness to build a career as a health practitioner. Doug Strutt is a cutthroat, self-satisfied billionaire. When these two opposites meet at a dinner party, their worlds collide and neither will ever be the same. Principal cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Chloë Sevigny, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, Connie Britton International premiere The Big Sick (Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani) – Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart. Principal cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher International premiere Bitch (Director/Screenwriter: Marianna Palka) – A woman snaps under crushing life pressures and assumes the psyche of a vicious dog. Her philandering, absentee husband is forced to become reacquainted with his four children and sister-in-law as they attempt to keep the family together during this bizarre crisis. Principal cast: Jason Ritter, Jaime King, Marianna Palka, Brighton Sharbino, Rio Mangini, Kingston Foster International premiere Bushwick (Directors: Cary Murnion, Jonathan Millot, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Graham Reznick) – Lucy emerges from a Brooklyn subway to find that her neighborhood is under attack by black-clad military soldiers. An ex-Marine corpsman, Stupe, reluctantly helps her fight for survival through a civil war, as Texas attempts to secede from the United States of America. Principal cast: Dave Bautista, Brittany Snow, Angelic Zambrana, Jeremie Harris, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Arturo Castro UK premiere Chasing Coral (Director: Jeff Orlowski) – Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers, and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. (Documentary) Special preview screening Winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary Crown Heights (Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin) – When Colin Warner is wrongfully convicted of murder, his best friend, Carl King, devotes his life to proving Colin’s innocence. Adapted from This American Life, this is the incredible true story of their harrowing quest for justice. Principal cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Nnamdi Asomugha, Natalie Paul, Bill Camp, Nestor Carbonell, Amari Cheatom International premiere Winner of Audience Award: US Dramatic Dina (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) – An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story. (Documentary) Special preview screening Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary A Ghost Story (Director/screenwriter: David Lowery) – This is the story of a ghost and the house he haunts. Principal cast: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Will Oldham, Sonia Acevedo, Rob Zabrecky, Liz Franke UK premiere Icarus (Director: Bryan Fogel) – When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death, and Olympic Gold—exposing the biggest scandal in sports history. (Documentary) UK premiere Winner of U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: The Orwell Award The Incredible Jessica James (Director/Screenwriter: Jim Strouse) – Jessica James, an aspiring NYC playwright, is struggling to get over a recent breakup. She sees a light at the end of the tunnel when she meets the recently divorced Boone. Together, they discover how to make it through the tough times while realizing they like each other—a lot. Principal cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O’Dowd, Lakeith Stanfield, Noël Wells European premiere Marjorie Prime (Director/Screenwriter: Michael Almereyda) – In the near future—a time of artificial intelligence—86-year-old Marjorie has a handsome new companion who looks like her deceased husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. What would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance? Principal cast: Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins UK premiere Winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize Walking Out (Directors/Screenwriters: Alex Smith, Adam Smith) – A teenager journeys to Montana to hunt big game with his estranged father. The two struggle to connect, until a brutal encounter in the heart of the wilderness changes everything. Principal cast: Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins, Bill Pullman, Alex Neustaedter, Lily Gladstone European premiere Wilson (Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriter: Daniel Clowes) – Wilson, a lonely, neurotic, and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope, reunites with his estranged wife and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter he has never met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets out to connect with her. Principal cast: Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Judy Greer, Cheryl Hines UK premiere SURPRISE FILM! – For the first time this year the Sundance Film Festival: London will feature a surprise film. We can’t say too much, but it was a favourite among audiences in Utah, and with just one screening this will be among the hottest of the hot tickets. The title will be revealed only when the opening credits roll. Don’t miss out.
SHORT FILM PROGRAM
2017 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour – A 95-minute theatrical program of seven short films selected from this year’s Festival, which over the course of its more than 30-year history has been widely considered the premier showcase for short films and the launch pad for many now-prominent independent filmmakers. Including fiction, documentary and animation from around the world, the 2017 program gives a taste to what the Festival offers. From laugh-out-loud fun to contemplative thoughts about the world we live in, audiences will encounter a variety of emotions and exciting filmmaking. 5 Films About Technology (Director/Screenwriter: Peter Huang) – Take a satirical look at the dumber side of technology. And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye (Director/Screenwriter: Francisca Alegria) – Emeteria is visited by the ghost of her patrón, Teodoro. She believes he has come to take her to the afterlife—but he has more devastating news. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction Come Swim (Director/Screenwriter: Kristen Stewart) – This is a diptych of one man’s day, half impressionist and half realist portraits. Lucia, Before And After (Director/Screenwriter: Anu Valia) – After traveling 200 miles, a young woman waits out Texas’s state-mandated 24-hour waiting period before her abortion can proceed. Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction Night Shift (Director/Screenwriter: Marshall Tyler) – Get a glimpse into a day in the life of a bathroom attendant in a Los Angeles nightclub. Pussy (Director/Screenwriter: Renata Gasiorowska) – Alone at home one evening, a young girl decides to have a solo pleasure session—but not everything goes according to plan. Ten Meter Tower (Co-Directors: Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson) – People who have never been up a 10-meter diving tower must choose whether to jump or climb down in this entertaining study of people in a vulnerable position. UK Shorts – A showcase of visionary new shorts from the UK. A wild ride through fiction, documentary and animation, discovering some of the exciting new filmmaking talent in the country. Dawn of the Deaf (Director/Screenwriter: Rob Savage) – When a strange sound wipes out the hearing population, a small group of deaf people must band together to survive. Dear Mr. Shakespeare (Director: Shola Amoo, Screenwriter: Phoebe Boswell) – An exploration of Shakespeare’s intentions when writing Othello explores the play’s racial themes in historical and contemporary settings, and draws wider parallels between immigration and blackness in the UK today. Fish Story (Director/Screenwriter: Charlie Lyne) – Behind a fishy tale lies this search for the truth. In the Hills (Director/Screenwriter: Hamid Ahmadi) – Shahram is a young immigrant who lives in the idyllic countryside of the Cotswolds in England. To integrate into the new society, he chooses a rather radical approach. Mother (Director/Screenwriter: Leo Leigh) – In the aftermath of his mother’s death, Edwin reaches out to his extended family for support. Robot & Scarecrow (Director: Kibwe Tavares, Screenwriters: Kibwe Tavares and Ursula Rani Sarma) – A fairy tale set against the backdrop of a heady summer music festival, where a robot and a scarecrow meet and fall in love. Tough (Director: Jennifer Zheng) – New light is shed on childhood cultural misunderstandings when a Chinese mother and her British-born daughter speak as adults for the first time. Some things can only be understood with maturity. White Riot: London (Director: Rubika Shah, Screenwriters: Ed Gibbs, Rubika Shah) – 1977, immigration divides Britain. What happens when a punk fanzine challenges the status quo?
SPECIAL EVENTS
Sundance Film Festival: London Docs Panel – On Collaboration: Documentary Practices and Process The Sundance Film Festival sets the bar extremely high for its documentary presentations, providing a showcase for some of the most diverse, cutting-edge and challenging works while reflecting something of a state of the art for this exciting and rapidly evolving medium. Our Sundance Film Festival: London selections Chasing Coral, Dina and Icarus are richly different films but are united in their presentation of hard-hitting issues in a fresh and open fashion. This panel, featuring directors from those films and British artist and filmmaker Jeanie Finlay, will ask the filmmakers to detail their working practices and the role of collaboration in their work whilst exploring themes of diversity, accessibility and progress in documentary. Panelists to include: Alice Tynan -EMEA Corporate Marketing Manager at Dropbox (Moderator); Jeff Orlowski – Director of Chasing Coral; Bryan Fogel – Director of Icarus; Jeanie Finlay – Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, The Great Hip Hop Hoax. INDEPENDENT FILM TRUMPS REALITY – re-evaluating films in the current political climate and where filmmaking will go from here… This year’s Sundance Film Festival straddled one of the most important shifts in modern American and world history, with the Festival kicking off under an Obama presidency and closing under President Trump. Understandably, Trump talk was unavoidable in Park City and whilst the films screening were developed and made before the election, many have gained a new level of currency in the age of Trump. Panelists: John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival; Miguel Arteta, Director of Beatriz at Dinner; Jeff Orlowski, Director of Chasing Coral; Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott, Directors of Bushwick; Wendy Mitchell, Film Programme Manager, British Council and Contributing Editor, Screen International. Art vs. Stepping Stone – An Argument: Sundance Meets London Presented in association with LSFF (London Short Film Festival) Sundance and LSFF host a short filmmaker discussion about straddling the worlds of the auteur and the commercial. Are shorts simply a stepping stone or do they sustain a filmmaker throughout a career? With a focus on two women filmmakers, each one working in those potentially opposing areas, we hope for a heated debate and a fascinating discussion. Hosted by Mike Plante (Sundance) and Philip Ilson (London Short Film Festival & BFI London Film Festival). I Get Overwhelmed: From Saints to Ghosts, David Lowery in Conversation Presented in association with Empire Magazine Since his striking, Malick-infused 2013 Sundance Film Festival debut Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Wisconsin-born filmmaker David Lowery has become something of a wunderkind of the U.S. filmmaking scene. His big-budget Disney production Pete’s Dragon (2016) along with this year’s Sundance selection A Ghost Story have both been greeted with rapturous reviews, praising the director’s ability to tackle complex human emotions and diverse genres with a real sense of grace and romanticism. His editing work on films like Shane Carruth’s Upstream Colour (2013) and writing on acclaimed indie The Yellow Birds (2017) also demonstrate a talent that is at once multi-faceted and poised with a singular, unique vision. We screen both Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and A Ghost Story this year and welcome David for a career interview which will explore his meteoric rise to filmmaking stardom. This “In Conversation” event will be accompanied by a special screening of: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery burst onto the scene in 2013 with this rapturous, Malick-infused period piece about two lovers separated by a run-in with the law.
Read more
Tribeca 2017: Who Killed Marsha P Johnson “street queen” of NY’s Gay Ghetto? | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22039" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON[/caption] Marsha P Johnson, the beloved, self-described “street queen” of NY’s gay ghetto was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD chalked it up as a suicide and refused to investigate. Who killed Marsha P. Johnson? When the beloved, self-described “street queen” of NY’s Christopher Street was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD called her death a suicide. Protests erupted but the police remained impassive and refused to investigate. Now, twenty-five years on, Academy Award® nominated director and journalist David France (HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE) examines Marsha’s death—and her extraordinary life—in his new film. Marsha arrived in the Village in the 1960s where she teamed up with Sylvia Rivera when both claimed their identities as “drag queens,” to use the vernacular of the times. Together, the radical duo fought arrests, condemned police brutality, organized street kids, battled the intolerant majority within the gay community, and helped spearhead the Stonewall Riots. In 1970 they formed the world’s first trans-rights organization, STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries). Despite their many challenges over the years—bias, homelessness, illness —Marsha and Sylvia ignited a powerful and lasting civil rights movement for gender nonconforming people. Now, a quarter century later, at a time of unprecedented visibility and escalating violence in the transgender community, a dynamic activist named Victoria Cruz has taken it upon herself to reexamine what happened at the end of Marsha’s life. As the film dips in and out of jawdropping archival footage from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON follows as this champion pursues leads, mobilizes officials, and works to get to the bottom of Marsha’s death. In an interview with director David France, he described what inspired to make the film now,”Marsha died twenty-five years ago this July and her fame—and mythology—has only increased over that quarter century. She’s become a very well-known touchstone within the LGBT movement but very little is really known about her. I wanted to fill in the historical record. In addition, I knew that her death was never thoroughly investigated by the police. In fact, as a print journalist I had begun to investigate her case back in 1992, but never did follow through on that work, so I felt a personal obligation to go back to it, and I felt that that offered an opportunity to reallyput flesh on this mythical character of Marsha P. Johnson.” THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON had its world premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, with additional screenings through Friday, Apr. 28th.
Read more
Tribeca 2017: A RIVER BELOW Documents the Efforts to Save the Pink River Dolphin in the Amazon | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22009" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Amazon River. Film still from A RIVER BELOW. Photo credit: Helkin RenÈ Diaz.[/caption] A River Below directed by Mark Greico is an investigative journey into the Amazon that follows a TV star and a renowned marine biologist as they each attempt to save the endangered pink river dolphin from being hunted to extinction. The film has its World Premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival in the Documentary competition. A River Below captures the Amazon in all its complexity as it examines the actions of environmental activists using the media in an age where truth is a relative term. The film follows a reality TV star and a renowned marine biologist as they each attempt to save the Amazon pink river dolphin from being hunted to extinction. With gorgeous, sweeping aerial views we gain perspective from above, but as the film plunges deep into the murky, tangled rivers, we uncover a scandal that has no simple solution. A RIVER BELOW is a completely unexpected film – a knotty poem of duality and dissonance and a journey into ourselves as we attempt to better this world. Director Mark Greico’s last film MARMATO was an official selection at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and went to win numerous awards.
Read more
Tribeca 2017: COPWATCH Profiles WeCopwatch whose Mission is to Film Police Activity and Brutality | Trailer

Copwatch, directed by Camilla Hall, is a true story of WeCopwatch, an organization whose mission is to film police activity as a non-violent form of protest and deterrent to police brutality. The documentary will premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, April 23rd. The Copwatch documentary profiles several WeCopwatch members – revealing how their mission to film police activity and brutality has impacted their lives. “Copwatch is not about what happened in front of the cameras, but it’s about those who stood behind them. It’s about a sense brotherhood that developed through the shared trauma of standing up to police brutality,” shares Camilla. Some of the people featured in the documentary include: Jacob Crawford (co-founder) who has spent the last 15 years with a camera in his hand documenting police activity. David Whitt (co-founder) a young father who lived in Ferguson and started filming after Michael Brown’s “Hands Up” shooting. Kevin Moore (Baltimore) awoke to the screams of his friend and neighbor Freddie Gray. He grabbed a camera and ran outside, filming as police dragged the injured young man into the back of a paddy wagon. Freddie Gray would die from the injuries and Kevin’s video, like those before his, were shown to the entire world by news broadcast and online. Like Ramsey, Kevin became a target for making his voice heard and was arrested shortly after he filmed the video while attending a protest. Ramsey Orta who captured Eric Garner’s final words “I Can’t Breathe” on his cell phone in currently incarcerated, however we’re looking into phone opportunities for him. Capturing Garner’s death was life changing for Ramsey, the only person from the scene of the fatal Staten Island arrest to go to jail. The director Camilla Hall explains the inspiration for Copwatch: “The idea for COPWATCH came out of a call I had with an ex-cop some time ago. He told me how it was normal to go after people who had filmed the police, whether looking up warrants or enforcing traffic stops, anything possible to harass people who had tried to film them. I had been reading about Ramsey Orta and Kevin Moore, who had both been arrested after they filmed their videos. I tried to get in contact with Ramsey, only to be shut down by his lawyers, but refused to give up and managed to reach him through Jacob Crawford, the founder of WeCopwatch. Those initial conversations started a bigger conversation about how to tell the story of the group as a whole. I couldn’t understand why no one was telling the story behind people who film the police. I started to raise the money from friends and family to scrape through shoots with a young DP, Adriel Gonzalez. We’d borrow lavalier mics and anything we could to make sure we didn’t miss a moment. The story moved very fast but we had to keep shooting. Bow and Arrow Entertainment jumped on board and helped us to take the film to the next level.” “In many ways, I am an unlikely director for this film, but at the time, there were no other options. I spent weeks at the start looking for others to direct but the story moved faster and faster; the story mattered more to me than the role. I had the access and, for whatever reason, the group trusted me as I was willing to go through hell to shoot what I needed to get. We were shot at on numerous occasions, spent a week without running water, and dealt with situations where we had no idea what was going to play out. In many ways, I became a confidant for each person in WeCopwatch, they opened up and revealed themselves in a way that seemed to be part of a process for them. I was drawn to them because they had allowed me to understand – for the first time – what it was like to grow up hounded and harassed by the cops because of where they’d been born or what they looked like. As a journalist, I knew that if they were communicating this to me, then others would also be able to learn from them.”
Read more
Tribeca 2017: Watch a Clip from THE PUBLIC IMAGE IS ROTTEN Documentary on Sex Pistols’ John Lydon | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_21995" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] John Lydon in THE PUBLIC IMAGE IS ROTTEN. Photographer: Yamit Shimonovitz.[/caption] The documentary The Public Image Is Rotten directed by Tabbert Fiiller on John Lydon formerly of Sex Pistols is World Premiering tonight, Friday April 21, at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. After the breakup of the Sex Pistols, John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), formed Public Image Ltd (PiL)- his groundbreaking band which has lived on nearly ten times as long as his first one. He has struggled to keep the band alive ever since, through personnel and stylistic changes, fighting to constantly reinvent new ways of approaching music, while adhering to radical ideals of artistic integrity. John Lydon has not only redefined music, but also the true meaning of originality. Former and current bandmates, as well as fellow icons like Flea, Ad-Rock and Thurston Moore, add testimony to electrifying archival footage (including stills and audio from the infamous Ritz Show). With his trademark acerbic wit and unpredictable candor, Lydon offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of music’s most influential and controversial careers.
Read more
ENDLESS POETRY and DOLORES Win San Francisco International Film Festival Audience Awards

[caption id="attachment_21985" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Endless Poetry[/caption] The 60th San Francisco International Film Festival wrapped after screening 181 films from 51 countries, and the audience voted Endless Poetry and Dolores their favorite narrative and documentary feature films. The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Endless Poetry (Chile/Japan/France), with Geremy Jasper’s Patti Cake$ (USA) also scoring highly with Festival audiences. The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Peter Bratt’s Dolores (USA), a 2016 SFFILM Documentary Film Fund winner for postproduction, while Rina Castelnuovo-Hollander and Tamir Elterman’s Muhi – Generally Temporary (Israel/Germany) also resonated with Festival audiences. The festival hosted 249 screenings of 181 films from 51 countries, which were attended by some 200 filmmakers and industry guests from 15 countries. Over two weeks, the 60th SFFILM Festival showed 66 narrative features, 36 documentary features, two New Visions features, two television series, and a total of 75 short films. Nearly $40,000 in prizes was awarded by Golden Gate Awards juries. “What an amazing year,” said Noah Cowan, SFFILM Executive Director. “Through partnerships local, national and global, we were able to create a special birthday celebration for the city of San Francisco, Bay Area audiences, and our followers online. We are grateful to the many people who took this journey with us, and we can’t wait to do it again!”
Read more